Article-feeding mechanism



. T 1,623 066 Aprll 5 1927. E NORDSTROM ARTICLE FEEDING MECHANISM FiIedOct. 25, 1924 4 she e l INVENTOR A ril 5 1927. p E. NORDSTROM ARTICLEFEEDING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 25, 1924 4'sheets-sheet s INVENTORWIT6IZESSES .4 1,623,066 Ap 5 1927- E. NORDSTROM 1 m'xcm: FEEDING mums;

Filed Oct. 25, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTO WITNESSES Mm Patented Apr.5, 1927.

U Ni'ITi'EiD {mm PATENT ELOF "NORDSTROM,- OF EAST OR'ANGE,-NE\V JERSEY,EASSIGN OR, 1 BY M-ESNE "ASSIGN- MENTS; TO ALUMINUMSEALGORPGRATION, 0FNEW YORK, NJY A GORP'ORTATIGN 01 iN'EW YORK.

ARTI-GLE FEEDING M1?'CIIAZN'ISM.

vapplication filed 0ctober25, 1924. Serial 'N0..745,862.

.This invention relates more especially to that, class of mechanisms inwhich articles are fed from bulk and; arranged in a continuing seriestobepassed on to be operated uponby other machines oreportions of thesame machine.

The primary object ofny invention is to provide an improved constructionin mechanisms of this character which in the preferred embodiment,hereinafter shown, described and claimed, contemplates the feeding frombulk of articles having outwardly projecting portions-of more or lessirregular contour and the arrangement of said'articles in ,apredetermined order or presentation with respectto saidprojectingportions. The drawings show an adaptation of my invention to mechanismforfeeding caps with lateral flanges orprojections, said caps being fedfrom bulk and subjected to a series ofoperations whicharrange the capsin a continuingseries with their crowns all presented --in the samedirection.

Specific objects of inventionwill appear in thespeci-ficationand 'bepointed out in the claims, reference being had to'the accompanyingdrawings exemplifying my invention and in which- Figure ,1 is a sideelevation partly in section corresponding to the .line .1.1 of Figure:2; H

Figure 2 is a vertical section on the lin 2- 2, Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the lower portionof the cap conveying chute and parts contiguous thereto;

Figure 4 is a transverse section on an enlarged scale corresponding tothe line 1 -4, Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a similarenlarged section on the .line 5-5, Figure 1.;

Figure 6 is a side elevation similar to Figure 3, showing certain of the"parts in changed positions, parts being shown in section;

Figure 7 is a top plan view and section on an enlarged scale accordingto line 77, Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a section and top plan view according to line 88, Figure 1;

Figure 9 is an end elevation of the compound slide removed;

Figure 11 is a side elevation si-milarfto Figure 1, portionsbein-gbroken away'ahd a parts shown in section.

Referring more particularly to the-drawings, in-the embodiment of myinvention shown therein, themain 'frameof themachine comprises a basememberLupnghts 2, 2, and upper and lower side rails 3, Midway of thelength of upper-,siderail 3 is an elongated bearing 4 within-which a shaft5 is secured bysmean's of a set screw 6. Journalled upon anoverhangingportion of the shaft 5 isthe'h'ub 7 ofaei'r'cular disk orplate 8 which is preferably dished as indicated in Figure ,2 andarranged opposite to the open end of gaibox oncontainer 9""p'ro'videjdwith an inclined bottom wall 10 ai'idconnected t0 themaih frame by meansof angle brackets '11, 'secured by bolts 12. Keyed to the reducedportion 13-of the hub 7 of said diskgjis a spur gear 14 whichasshowh-best inFigure 1' meshes with a spur sector '15. 'Said sector isoscillatabl'y mounted upon a lpinjl'ti carried by the main frame.Integral with the sector 15 is warm ,1? whieh is' ennnected by a rod 18with aspur gear {19. iThe spur gear 19 meshes with a smaller pur gear 20keyed to a shaft ,21, said shaft being journalledjin a bearing 22,wliichis integrallyformed with one of the uprights 2 of the main frame.Keyed to the shaft 21 and arranged on the opposite side of the bearing22from sai d 'gea'r 20-, is a; p,ulley 28 which may be driven by asuitable belt (not shown). ,A'X'ially spaced from the disk or dishedplate 8, is an annulus '24 which together with a corresponding portionof said dished plate,- forms a peripheral slot 25. A frusto-conicalflange 126 which is integrally formed with the annulus '24; extendsoutwardly to the adjacent circular edge of the bottom wall 10" withwhiel'r it forms a substantiallycontinuous bottom wall for the hopper.Said disk 8 and annulus 24 are connected by a strap .27 and bolts 28 andprovided with enlarged peripheral faces in which are formed peripheralgrooves29, 29'. Running said grooves are three pairs of axiallyspacedrollers 30 which rota'ta'bly support the disk 8 and hulus 24. Therollers 30' areJourhaIIed up' on pins 30 carried by circular plates 34,34: which are rigidly mounted on the main frame in the manner to bepresently described.

The base member 1 of the main frame, according to the present embodimentof my invention carries a pair of longitudinally extending blocks orguides 31, 31. These guides are provided with longitudinal grooves 32,32. Mounted upon the blocks 31, 31, are the base flanges 33, of theupwardly extending chute sections 3f, 34:. The rings or circular plates34, 3%. are provided below with integrally formed rectangular portions34. 34, which rest. upon the upper edges of the chute column sections31, 34-, as shown in Figures 2 and i1. Suitabl bolts 3st" which passthru the oppositely disposed parts 34, 34c, and 34:, 34 are secured in ablock or plate 34 (see Figure 2). As shown best in Figures 1 and 4, apair of oppositely disposed track bars 35, 36. are arranged between thechute 'members 34, 3 the track bar 36 being extended upwardly toward theright to form a tangential portion 36 and circular portion 36" whichterminates at 37. As shown at the top of Figure 2, the circularextension 36" of the track bar 36 is rigidly clamped between oppositelyarranged circular plates 3%, 34:, which substantially conform thereto.Said circular portion 36 forms almost a complete circle having aconsiderably larger diameter than the inner corner 26 (see Fig. 2) ofthe flange 26 of annulus 24. The track bar 35 on the other handterminates above in an overhanging point or spur 35*. Said track bars 35and 36 in the present embodiment of my invention, are spaced apart for asuitable distance to slidably engage the outer circular wall of thecrown portion of a bottle sealing cap C. In effect, the track bars 35,36, form channels 34, 3.4;. on opposite sides of the track bars 35, saidchannels terminating below in the divergent passages 38, 38, formed bythe wedge shaped partition 39. interposed between the guide blocks 31,31, is a partition 40 which forms the parallelly disposed channels 41,41, ex tending longitudinally of said guide blocks and at their forwardends opening into cap turning chambers 42 and 43.

As shown best in Figures 7 and 8 the cap turning chambers 42 and 43merge into a forwardly contracted passageway it l leading to a channel45 thru which all caps are passed after they have been arranged in agiven order with respect to their contour.

Referring now to Figures 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 and 11, the gear wheel 20carries a pin 46 upon which is journalled one end of a connecting rod47, the other end of said connecting rod being pivotally connected by apin 48 to an arm 49 which oscillates about a pin 50 on the main frame. Alaterally projecting pin 51 carried by the arm 4.9 reciprocates in agroove 52 formed in one end of a link or rod 53 and thus provides a lostmotion connection between the swinging arm 49 and a cap releasing slideto be presently referred to. The forward end of said rod 53 is pivotallyconnected by a pin 51- with a reciprocable slide 55 which as shown inFigure 5 is slidably supported in a slotted block 56 mounted on theouter wall of chute 34-. Rigidly mounted upon the slide by means ofscrews 57, 57, and spaced therefrom by blocks 53. 58, are stop lingers5!) and 60. the latter being arranged at a lower level than the formeras shown in Figure 6. It will appear from Figures 3 and 6. that as theslide 55 is reciprocated to and fro. the upper finger 59 is moved intoposition to support a column of caps C above at the same time that thelower linger is moved. out of the path of a lower cap which is thusreleased and separated from the-column as indicated in these ligu Asshown in Figures 1 and 8. the, lower end of swinging arm 4-9 is movablyconnected by the parallel links til, to a cross-head or block (32 thruwhich extends a pin 63 to which the links are pivotally connected.Projecting forwardly from the cross-head block 62 is a pair of bottomplates or slides 64 which are recessed or cut away at 65 (see dottedlines in Figures 7 and 8) to conform to the inclined abutments 65, 66,formed on the oppositely disposed blocks or pads (57, 67. At the sametime, the overhanging forward ends of the slides (34, 64;, slide overthe upper surfaces of the blocks 67, 67. Reciprocably mounted within theparallel channels it, 41, are laterally spaced slides (58, (58, whichproject forwardly from the cross-head block 62. The forward ends of saidslides are adapted to engage the crowns of caps to be moved and for thispurpose are provided with rectangular recesses 6.), (it). whichaccommodate laterally projecting portions of a cap such as the flangededge or lugs. it will be noted further that each of the hollow slides64, 64:. is provided with a groove til" extending along the inner upperedge there of, said groove being spaced from the crn-- tral partition 40at a suitable distance to re ceive the outwardly Hanged edge of the cap. It will be understood. from this description that as the cap dropsupon the bottom slide (54., its flanged edge rests in the groove onwhile the crown of said cap slides along the central wall or partitionit). it results from this relation that as the cap is brought intoengagement with one or the other of the inclined cam walls it is swungabout that edge of its flange which rests in the groove 6& and is thusturned over into the position shown at the right of Figure 7. Accordingto the present embodiment of my invention, the cam walls 70 are formedby Ill) inclined "faces of cam blocks 70 which are rigid with v thecentral partition 40- an dcon- Stitute means "for i mpal ti-ng a '90 0turn t 0 "the caps which are thus brought -1nto a similar order ot'presentation betl ore the caps onopthe peripheral slot which is formedbetween the annulus 24 and the-opposite1y disposed surface of the di k-8. From an inspection of i-gu-re 1' in connection with Figure 4, itwill he-understood that the caps enter between the 'track "bars 35 and36 mainly when they are propelled by a clock wise -movement of theoscillatory head'of thehopperand with the flanged edges and finger lugsarranged inone or the other of the vertical channels 34, 34 into whichthe chute -i-sdivided by said track bars. As the eaps O move downwardly,thru the chute 34with the-outer walls of their crown portions slidalolyengaging the track bars 3'5,"36,they form in acolumn above one or theother of stop fingers 59,60, as shown in Figure 1-6 in which thearrangement of the parts corresponds with the positions shown in 'ligure *1. As thevswinging armis thrown toward ..-the right,- theupper-slides 68, 68, are propelled in the same direction until oneotsaid slides engages a separated cap in one or 'the-othenof saidchannels 41, 41, in the gui'deblocks 131, 31. At'about this time, ithe,pin '51 has-completed its lost motion travel in slot 52 and has begunto throw the slide 55 towardthe right. Dnringi this movement the'cap atthe bottom of the chute :84 which has .been previouslyseparatedfromxthecolumn above, is moved toward the right and turnedlover into the position not the cap shown at the right in Figured At thesame time, the stop finger (SQ-releases :another cap from the columnwhile the stop finger 59 moves into position to support the columnabove. Referring now to Figure 7, it will be seen that caps Ciarexturnedrin one .orithe other direction to i lie flatw'ise on 'the:floor of chambers 42, 43, according to :Which direction ntheir flangededges "and fingerlugs are presented away from-{the central partition:40. At each dermal-d,- movement; of; thebottom slides 164,64, isaidcaps are propelled thru the passage-way 44 into ;the,=eommon :channel 45in which they are :at-nanged .in -.a con tinuous series with their crownpresented in the same direction.

I -cIaim- 1. Ina cap-feeding machine, the combina tion with a hopper, ofa chute connected thereto, said chute being provided .with spaced trackbars adapted to engage the outer walls of eaps arranged in either of twoopposite presentations, means movable across the outlet end of saidchute for receiving and arranging said caps according to theirpresentation, and means cooperating with said cap-receiving andarranging means for rearranging the e-ape of-both presentations-into asingleseri-es of like presentation.

2. In a -machine of :the character de scribed, the combination withahopper :provided with a dished circular p'late movable about ahorizontalaxis andan annularpl-ate axially-spaced from said plate but"movable therewitlnsaid annular-plate beingprovided along its inner edgewith a l'atter'ly pre sented circular flange, of =a-ch ute disposed toreceive articles fromthe-peripheral opening idormed between saidcircular and -annu lar plates, and a track-bar in said-chute,saidtrack-harheing provided withan upwardlysextending portion arrangedbetween said circular and annular plates whereby said hopper is adaptedto deliver articles to said chute in either ottwoOpposite-presentations.

3. In ;a machine of tthe character described, the combination with ahopper provided with an inclined bottom wall and an oscillatory endwall, of a circular flange spaced from said end wall and J oseillatabletherewith a chute for conveying articles from said hopper,oppositelydisposed track bars within-said chute, one of said track bars havinganextension extending between said end'wall and circularfiange andconforming-to the latter, and means for convcying articles :from saidchute.

4. In a cap-"feeding machine, a cap feeding head movable about 'an axisand pro vided witha downwardly presented discharge -slot,-a chuteextending away from i from, and means cooperating with said slide forarranging the caps in a predetermined presentation.

6. In a cap-feeding machine, a cap-feeding head movable to and fro andprovided with a downwardly presented discharge slot, a chute forconveying caps away from said cap-feeding head, a fixed track in saidchute projecting into said slot, said track being adapted to interceptand deflect caps into said chute, and means receiving caps from saidchute and arranging them in a predetermined order of presentation.

7. In a cap-feeding machine, an oscillatable cap-feeding head providedwith a discharge slot, a chute suitably formed to receive caps whenpresented in. either of two ditl'erent ways, a lixed track in said chuteand extending between the walls of said slot, said track being providedwith means adapted to deflect caps into said chute when presented ineither of said ways, and means receiving said caps from said chute andarranging them in a single series of similarly presented caps.

8. In a cap-feeding machine, the combination with a hopper, of a chuteadapted to receive flan ed ca )s in either of two 03- l c) o posrtepresentations, laterally-spaced walls formin ca )-conve 111 channels adated to receive said caps edgewise, oppositely pre-' sented cam walls forturning oppositely-presented caps in opposite directions, and slidesmounted in said channels for controlling the admission of caps theretoand propelling said caps against said cam walls for turning them intosimilarly presented order.

9. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a baseprovided with channels for receiving caps edgewise in one or the otherof two opposite presentations, of a chute having branches leadingrespectively to said channels, slides for controlling the admission ofcaps to said channels, and means arranged along said channels forturning said caps to arrange them in substantially similar order underthe propulsion of said slides.

10. In a cap-feeding machine, an oscillatable cap-feeding headcomprising a circular plate and an annulus spaced therefrom to form aperipheral slot, a chute provided with a slot communicating with saidperipheral slot, the slot in said chute being provided with divergingbranches, a fixed track in said chute having one end thereof extendingalong and between the walls of said slot and terminating at its otherend adjacent the point at which said branches of the chute diverge, andmeans receiving caps from said divergent branches of the chute andarranging them in one and the same predetermined order of presentation.

11. In a cap-feeding machine, an oscillatable cap-feeding headcomprising a substantially upright circular plate and an annulus spacedtherefrom to form a peripheral slot, a chute extending downwardly fromsaid oseillatable head, oppositely arranged track bars in said chute forslidably engaging the crown portions of caps having laterally projectingllanges, said track bars adapting said chute to convey caps from saidoscillatable head in either of two oppositely presented arrangements,means for separating the caps having one presentation from those havingthe other presentations, and means for arranging all of said caps in thesame order of presentation.

12. In a machine of the character described, the combination with ahopper provided with an. oscillatory end wall and a circular flangespaced from said end wall and oscillatable therewith, of a chute forconveying articles from said hopper, a trackbar within said chute andhaving an extension arranged between said end wall and circular flange,said extension conforming to the latter, and means for conveyingarticles from said chute.

13.111 a machine of the character described, the combination with ahopper comprising an oscillatory end wall, a circular plate spacedaxially from said end wall and oscillatable therewith, said circularplate being provided with a laterally presented frusto-conical flange,and a container having a bottom wall conforming to said frustoconicalflange, a chute for conveying articles from the said hopper, and atrack-bar within said chute, said track-bar having an extension arrangedbetween said end wall and circular flange for engaging articles ineither of two oppositely presented arrangements.

14. In a cap-feeding machine, a cap-feeding head movable about an axisand provided with a downwardly presented discharge slot, a chuteextending away from said cap-feeding head, annular plates arranged aboveand rigidly connected to said chute, a fixed track in said chute, saidtrack having an upwardly-extending portion clamped between said annularplates, and means receiving caps from said chute.

15. In a capfeeding machine, a cap-teeding head movable about an axisand pro vided with a downwardly presented discharge slot, a lixcd chuteextending downwardly from said. cap-"feeding head, a fixed track in saidchute, said track having an upwardly extending portion arranged betweenthe walls of said slot, the outer peripheral-edge of saidupwardly-extending portion projecting outwardly beyond the periphery ofsaid cap-feeding head, and annular plates extending around the peripheryof said cap-feeding head, the upwardly extending portion of said trackbeing clamped between said annular plates.

16. In a cap-feeding machine, an oscillatloo able cap-feeding headcomprising a circular plate and an annulus spaced therefrom to form aperipheral slot, said cap-feeding head being provided with anoutwardly-presented peripheral groove, a chute communicating with saidperipheral slot, a circular frame arranged above said chute andextending around the periphery of said capfeeding head, and rollersjournaled in said circular frame and running in said peripheral groovefor rotatably supporting said,

cap-feeding head.

17. In a cap-feeding machine an oscillatable cap-feeding head comprisinga substantially upright circular plate and an annulus spaced therefromto form a peripheral slot, a chute extending downwardly from saidoscillatable head, oppositely arranged track-bars in said chute forslidably track-bars terminating in a spur presented along and spacedinwardly from the inner edge of the firstanentioned track-bar, annularplates extending around the periphery of said cap-feeding head, saidupwardly extending portion of the first-mentioned trackbar being clampedbetween said annular plates, and means carried by said annular platesfor supportably engaging the periph- 35 cry of said cap-feeding head.

ELOF NORDSTROM.

